And in the Starkness bind them
by thesecretsix
Summary: Side stories to Stark White (mostly short and lighthearted) that explore the other members of team STRQ. Should be readable without reading Stark White, but I won't make any promises; further details on a per chapter basis. First up, Qrow: "Taiyang wanted his arm scribbled on and Raven said she knew a good tattoo parlor."


Note: These are Stark White side-stories, but can be read independently. If you're wondering about my characterization of Summer, Raven or Qrow, though, read Stark White (and/or the notes on that fic, which are longish and explain a lot of the assumptions in this universe).

…

 **Title:** Tattoo

 **Narrator:** Qrow

 **Timetable:** Set sometime in team STRQ's second year. Summer and Raven have been together for about a year.

 **Genre:** Slice of life, maybe?

 **Spoilers:** V3E12, "End of the Beginning" for Taiyang's character model, Qrow's semblance

 **Notes:** Shy Summer, Bold Raven, Qrow the Watcher, reasonably canon Taiyang, Summer/Raven, hints of Qrow/Taiyang, bisexual male character, one-sided Taiyang/Everyone

…

You're wandering around Vale on this windy autumn night for no goddamned reason at all. Well, that's not entirely true. You're wandering around Vale on this windy autumn night because Taiyang wanted his arm scribbled on and Raven said she knew a good tattoo parlor. Your leader Summer, with her complete inability to say no to your sister, was more-or-less strong armed into making this a team outing.

Which, really, would be fine if your petition to be excluded had been successful. "But Qrow," countered Taiyang, "it'll be so badass! Don't you want to witness the birth of awesome?" It's not the most convincing argument, and you told him as much. Fat load of good that did you, though. You're still here.

You realize you're falling behind, and you jog a few steps to catch up with your partner. It's convenient to stand near Tai when you're chilly- his semblance turns him into an impromptu space heater, especially when he's excited about something (and right now, he's fucking psyched). A few more steps ahead, a cheerful and excited Raven drags her girlfriend hand-in-hand (white cloak fluttering energetically behind her, damn this wind) as she tries to remember which side street to take.

Summer says something, too quiet for you to quite make out (she's only loud when she's hollering out orders), but you hear your sister's response. "You're right, it's definitely this one, I totally remember this burger place near the entrance. Good call!"

Huh. You wonder why Summer would know where a tattoo parlor was, she's always struck you as a little too shy and straight-laced for such a thing. Well, there are explanations aplenty. She's intelligent and methodical- the two qualities that make you happy she's the leader of your team- so it's very likely that she merely took the requisite five minutes to look up the shop on a map.

As you follow them down the side road, you play with the idea of your other teammates being the leader. Raven would be alright, you suppose. She always dragged you around when you were kids, and as evidenced by this very moment, she's not grown out of that behavior (but at least now she's dragging around someone other than you). Heaven forbid, though, that Taiyang be put in charge of anything. People often assume, because he's big, loud, and bold, that Tai's the leader of team STRQ. The thought sends a shiver down your spine. Tai's good people, but he's also a massive manchild.

It doesn't even cross your mind to put yourself in the leadership role. Who even would follow you?

The dynamic Summer and Raven duo somehow successfully navigates to the tattoo shop, waiting outside the entrance for you.

Summer greets the man (older, graying slightly) at the front desk nervously, explaining "I called ahead, appointment for Rose?"

You elbow your partner in the gut, "Dust, Tai. Can't even make your own appointments?"

He reddens ever so slightly. "I didn't know I was supposed to." Embarrassment's a good look on him (it's a refreshing change of pace from his usual bottomless confidence), but ignorance isn't. You take the average the two and settle for your typical 'no reaction' route.

The tattoo artist- an edgy looking violet-haired man boasting a brightly colored weapon themed sleeve on his left arm- comes forth from the depths of the shop and starts discussing Taiyang's proposed designs as they flip through the appropriate consent forms. You're not particularly interested in whatever your partner wants to do here, but it's clear your sister is. "Goddamn it Tai, you can't just can't just put dragons on everything."

"Why the hell not? Dragons are kickass."

"It's just… ugh. Qrow, explain to him why he can't just get dragons on everything."

You want no part in this discussion, but it's always fun to knock Taiyang down a peg. "Sis is right," you say. "It's tacky. You already have dragons on all of your stuff, anyways."

"Exactly!" Agreeing with your sister is also usually the best route to not get sucked further into this inane topic. It's a strategy you use often.

"What the hell ever!"

Summer puts her hand on Raven's shoulder before she and Tai start brawling in a public space (again). "Actually," she begins, in what might be the clearest voice you've heard from her outside of battlefield orders. "I think Taiyang should get what he wants." You're surprised she feels strongly enough about this to speak up at all, let alone disagree with Raven. "It's his skin, his body," she explains, "It's his canvas for self expression." The trails off nervously, but the impact of her words stands firm in the quiet moment that follows.

(Ah, self expression, the magical words. Your grandparents fought a war over self expression, only sixty years ago. A legacy of individualism lives on in your names, you reflect, and invoking the idea that anyone might be suppressing another's right to express their inner selves is often enough to start a fight. You feel like a dick now, and you'll definitely apologize to Tai later.)

"Well put," says the artist, who seems to have been content to merely observe your team dynamics throughout the earlier discussion. Idly, you wonder how often he has to watch teenagers have this same discussion. Raven, suitably cowed by your leader's precise use of language, backs down.

"Sorry, Tai. I didn't mean it like that." "It's alright, I know."

You watch the artist flip through his sketchbook, showing Taiyang some of the options he's got. Tai seems drawn to the abstract, almost tribal dragon-ish forms over the more literal eastern dragons you thought he'd have chosen. He decides on a design, an elegant swirl that traces out the face of a western dragon- not bad at all, probably only the slightest bit tacky, though you're definitely not judging- and the artist takes him back to the chair. Space is limited, so Summer, Raven, and yourself don't join him.

You crack open your novel as you wait for Tai's session to wrap up and try to tune out Summer and Raven's whispering. You can only really make out Raven's contributions, but (as you read once) overhearing half a conversation is actually more distracting than hearing both sides. It's frustrating, but with a little effort you manage.

You're all the more startled when another woman arrives and greets your teammates loudly. "Hello again! Umm... Raven and… Summer, wasn't it?" Where the hell did she come from?

"That's us alright," your sister picks up the conversation since Summer doesn't engage well. "And you're Ianthe, right?"

"Yep! What brings you back here?"

"Our teammate is getting a tattoo right now! Hey, is the purple-haired guy your brother? He looks a lot like you."

"Yeah, we're a small family business, actually. Aster does tattoos and I do piercings. Dad actually used to do the tattoos, but…"

They make small talk, and you're able to lose yourself in your book again. It's the fourth book in a series you've been following, telling the story of a boy that could see through the eyes of animals. The characters behave a little unrealistically at times, often causing you to lose your suspension of disbelief, but it's a coherent world and the main character's powers give you a few ideas on ways you can use your semblance.

The subsequent hour passes quickly; you mark time only with the turning of your pages. Your next interruption is a familiar one: Taiyang entering the room.

"Can we see it?" asks Raven, who's recovered her earlier enthusiasm about Tai's ink. "The anticipation is literally killing me."

"Well, you'll have to keep dying just a little longer." He chuckles, showing off the bandages on his arm. "Sorry it took so long though, the needle actually kept setting off my semblance. I swear, if I bump into anything on the way back home, I'll probably end up setting the city on fire."

"Yikes," grimaces Raven, but then she smiles. "D'ya feel like a badass though?"

"A bit."

"Cool."

Summer interjects. "We need to leave. Now." Though she provides no further explanation, a quick glance at the lobby's wall clock fills in the rest. With the extended length of Taiyang's tattoo appointment, you've got just enough time to make your way to the Airship station to catch the last ship back to Beacon. Without another word, the four of you make a mad dash through the streets of Vale.

You make it just in time. Breathing heavily, you file into the passenger compartment of the airship. It's pretty empty, with most of the students having taken an earlier trip (nobody wants to get stranded in the city, after all, walking all the way up is a total bitch), and you're able to grab four seats together. You slide in between your partner and your sister just as the airship takes off.

Your team sits in silence for a few minutes, reveling in your minor success, before something odd catches your eye. On Taiyang's left bicep (not that you're looking at his biceps or anything, it's just in your way, you promise), just where his sleeve ends, you catch a flash of black against his skin.

"What's that?" you ask, pointing. "I thought you didn't have any ink before today."

"Hmm?"

"This." You tug up his sleeve, exposing a set of digits scrawled on his arm in thick black marker. "A scroll number?" Taiyang flushes. "Oh my god, what was happening in that back room? Is that why it took so long?" you snark. "We can't take you anywhere."

On your left, Raven laughs. "Was Aster flirting with you the whole time? His sister did the exact same thing to Summer when we were there before, even gave her her number." She hisses as the girl in question's elbow meets her ribs.

" _Don't tell them that._ "

You remember what you heard of the earlier conversation in the lobby. "So… you guys went there before, right?" Somethings not adding up. "And, that girl… the sister, she does piercings?" Ah, you've figured out what's wrong with this picture. "But neither of you have your ears pierced..?"

You trail off as Summer lets out a sharp "Eeep!" and pulls her hood up, shielding her face from your confused gaze. Huh, you thought she was past that nervous habit of hers.

"Well, lil bro," begins Raven, face redder than the eyes you share. As Summer tries her best to hide behind her girlfriend (due to her relatively small frame, she's mostly successful), Raven goes on: "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to. That's my sisterly advice for today."

Taiyang puts his arm over your shoulder, leaning in. "But what if _I_ want to know?" he says with a perverse giggle.

 _Oh_.


End file.
